PROVIDENCE — United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5098 has voted to reject a new, $11 million smaller contract offer from Lifespan Corp. and proceed with a four-day strike at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital starting 3 p.m. on Monday, July 23.
The strike has had a day added to it, now ending July 27 at 3 p.m. following Lifespan’s announcement that it will keep striking staff out a fourth day to accommodate a minimum contract for replacement workers with staffing firm Huffmaster.
“Our intent was to unconditionally return on Thursday, July 26, at 3 p.m., but Lifespan made a costly deal with an out-of-state staffing company, and so, our hard-working members will be locked out for an additional day. Our plan is to return to work next Friday, at 3 p.m.,” UNAP President Frank Sims said in a statement announcing the vote, which he characterized an overwhelming endorsement to proceed with the planned strike.
“This is just another in a series of petty and punitive tactics that Lifespan has used to force us into signing a contract that fails to recognize the commitment and skills we bring to the bedside, every day,” Sims said.
“As we face a work stoppage by UNAP, the hospital has a work continuation plan in place. We are prepared to continue our inpatient and outpatient services as usual. Rhode Island Hospital will have temporary nurses and technical professionals here from Monday, July 23 at 3 p.m. through Friday, July 27 at 3 p.m. to care for patients,” Lifespan Corp., stated in a response to the vote.
Lifespan has also stated that $11 million paid to Huffmaster to guarantee staffing to replace striking workers July 23 will necessarily need to be subtracted from the contract offer the union rejected July 13. It presented the resulting contract offer to the union, which voted to reject the second offer as well.
“The union voted to reject the offer, issued the strike notice then Lifespan lessened the already rejected offer by taking more than $10 million off the table and that lessened offer was overwhelmingly rejected last night, and as a result the strike begins Monday,” said UNAP spokesman Ray Sullivan.
In March, Lifespan reported a 0.7 percent operating margin with operational income growing more than $12 million to $14.5 million in fiscal 2017, a strong turnaround from the previous year.
“The $10 million cost of securing temporary workers due to the strike is a significant cost based on this small operating margin,” Lifespan noted in a statement.
At issue in the contract dispute, said Sullivan, are the amount of pay raises for nurses, as well as a lack of support and equipment for nurses to do their jobs. There are not enough IV machines at the hospital, for instance, he said. Lifespan has stated that the issue has not been raised during negotiations.
“In recent days, Lifespan has pushed a narrative suggesting that we haven’t raised issues relative to unsafe staffing levels and a fundamental lack of resources during the bargaining process. This is simply not true. While we have certainly worked to address economic security issues in this contract, we have absolutely discussed nurses and caregivers having an alarming lack of resources to the critical tools and supplies we need to provide the care our patients deserve,” Sims said.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com
